Hi everyone. My fiancé and I recently decided to call our wedding off in favor of eloping in Italy. We've decided that this is going to be our day and this is the way we'd like to do it. My problem is that we are just looking for a location, an officiate, and a photographer but all of the web sites I have found want to charge us around 2000 euros for all of this, seems a bit steep to me. We are looking for nothing fancy, simply a symbolic ceremony with no paper work. If possible, I'd just like to book a photographer and an officiate on my own to avoid the 500 euros fee that the agencies charge. Please let me know if you guys have any resources. Thank you.
Posted by
In the Mountains, USA
689 posts
Brandon - if you don't do the paperwork your marriage will not be recognized in the US. You are right that it costs 2,000E and up.
Some of the hotels in the resort areas have wedding planners on staff and can help you out.
Good Luck!
Posted by
OP
Topanga, CA, 90290
3 posts
I'll have to check into the hotel option, thank you :)
Oh, and the reason we're not going to do the paperwork there is because we're going to do the paperwork here shortly before/after the trip. It's easier to do here :)
Posted by
OP
Topanga, CA, 90290
3 posts
Thanks, I looked there but only found links to wedding planners. I'm just looking for an officiate and photographer, I'd rather not pay someone 500 euros for what I can do myself.
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
7548 posts
Maybe consider hitting a Justice of the Peace here in the states and jet to Italy, maybe not as romantic, but much easier to arrange and you could still do something special, if not official, in Italy.
Posted by
Carbondale, IL, USA
1201 posts
Brandon - If your original message means something like "everything associated with our wedding here in the states was making us so crazy and cranky that we just decided to not go through the ordeal and go to Italy instead", then go to a a courthouse or city hall here in the US get married and the same day go to the airport for Italy. Once you get to your destination, find a photographer or find one online before, stand up in front of a lovely site and exchange vows and get photos. Have a great time and go home.
If, however it meant that you have always wanted to get legally married in Italy, then the fees paid may be well worth the hassles they will avoid. Unless you are fairly fluent in Italian and know the rules it can be problematic getting the requirements met.
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
4555 posts
Brandon, see this link for information from the Italian embassy in Washington about foreign nationals who wish to marry in Italy. http://tinyurl.com/2f2zcu. It can be problematic to get all these requirements fulfilled, especially the examination by Italian consular officials, and the official translations and Apostilles required by Italian authorities.
Posted by
Salem, Oregon, USA
2335 posts
Also, review the posts on this site's Graffiti Wall under the "Getting Married In Europe" section HERE